Oooooh Aaaaahhh Wowwww
by CSI-Sleuth
Summary: Gil and Sara return to San Francisco. A response to a 4th of July challenge.


Title: "Oooooh" "Aaaaahhh" "Wowwwww"  
  
Author: CSI-Sleuth  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: Gil and Sara return to San Francisco. G/S RST  
  
Spoilers: up through the end of Season 2  
  
Disclaimer: Grissom and Sara don't belong to me, but they do belong to each other and to CBS et al. I'm just borrowing them.  
  
Feedback: Sure. Positive, negative, just be constructive.  
  
Archival: Not a problem. Just tell me where.  
  
Authors Note: This is a follow up to "Follow the Love." I had intended that piece to be a stand-alone vignette and then I saw the challenge posted at www.grissomandsara.com. Since I had already brought up the 4th of July in "Follow the Love", I thought I'd try my hand at addressing the challenge. I know, the 4th has come and gone, but we can always use a little more fireworks in our lives, right?  
  
The Challenge: July fourth is coming up. If there's one thing this fandom is sorely lacking it's holiday stories. So we'd like to see a story involving Grissom, Sara, and the Fourth of July. It can be case related or on a personal basis and it only has three requirements: 1) Fireworks must be involved. The ones in the sky. There can be fireworks of another variety, but your rating must reflect that. ;-) UST or RST are both permitted. 2) Someone must consume a hot dog, cotton candy, or both. 3) A third party must observe a moment between G and S. It can be one of the regulars or an original character. Extra credit if you set the story in an amusement park, but that's not a requirement. Just go where the muse takes you.  
  
  
  
"Oooooh" "Aaaaahhh" "Wowwwww" "Oooooh" "Happy Face" "Aaaaahhh" "Wowwwww" "Oooooh" "Aaaaahhh" "Star" "Wowwwww" Gil and Glen had been exclaiming the wonders of the fireworks in unison ever since the first rocket streaked through the air nearly five minutes ago. Smoke filled the inky black sky as the flaming arrows ceased bringing a moment of silence.  
  
Sara shifted her gaze from the sky to the face above and behind her. Grissom and Sara reclined on the cushions on the back of Samantha's father's boat. Glen and Samantha, still the newlyweds, were in a similar position on the opposite side of the boat. "So what's with the commentary?" Sara asked them.  
  
Again in unison Gil and Glen laughed. Glen spoke up, "It's something we used to do as kids. Sort of became our own little tradition. I guess we never grew up."  
  
This time it was Sara and Samantha's turn as they both laughed and said, "You got that right."  
  
The fireworks show continued and Sara resumed her position of gazing at the sky all the while cognizant of Grissom's body beneath her and his arms in a bear hug around her own. She could feel his chin resting on her head and the quick beat of his heart as their bodies rose and fell with each breath he took. Forty-eight hours ago she would have never imagined being in such a wonderful place.  
  
  
  
Nearly a month had passed since Glen and Samantha's wedding and that night in San Francisco. The night that turned into a weekend. After the door closed they gave into their urges without thinking through the consequences. They explored each other with the same determination and attention to detail they applied at a crime scene.  
  
When they returned to Vegas, the magic of San Francisco seemed to have been left behind. Since then, things had been awkward, complicated. Sara thought Grissom was ignoring her and if anyone asked him straight out he would probably say he was. Their first shift back the others sensed something and if they'd had the time they might have figured it out. But the heat of early summer had brought out the criminal and the insane. Pulling doubles became routine. Any free time was devoted to eating, sleeping and avoiding.  
  
Sara was about to knock on the door to Grissom's office when it opened and there they were. Face to face. They'd avoided close contact for much of the past month and now each glanced away, unsure what to do, what to say.  
  
After a moment Sara finally blurted out, "hey."  
  
Grissom replied with a more formal "hi."  
  
"Can I talk to you a minute?" Sara finally asked. Grissom nodded his head. "In private?"  
  
Grissom motioned for her to come in and then walked away from the door and back behind his desk as if the physical barrier would somehow aid the conversational barrier. Sara closed the door behind her and leaned against it with her hands resting on the knob. For a brief moment both thought of the last door they had leaned against together and where that had led and then the moment passed.  
  
"Samantha called me today. She wants to know what our plans are for the 4th."  
  
Grissom nodded and took a swallow before replying. "Yeah I know, I just got off the phone with Glen."  
  
"So?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"What did you tell him? Or do we play twenty questions?" Sara folded her arms across her chest and just glared at Grissom.  
  
Grissom knew that look. Sara was pissed. "I told him we needed to talk about it," he finally replied.  
  
"So?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Are we? Going to talk about it?"  
  
Silence. Deafening silence. Grissom just stared at her, not knowing what to say. He didn't know where to start. "I don't know what to say. Where to start."  
  
"Why don't you start with why you've been avoiding me like the plague since their wedding. I thought, I thought things would be different when we got back. Granted they are, just not the way I imagined."  
  
"What did you imagine Sara?"  
  
Sara was about to turn on her heels and run. She couldn't believe he could be this dense. Did their time together mean nothing to him? Did she just imagine the magical connection they had finally made? "That was no ordinary weekend Gil and you act like it never happened. Like you never want it to happen again."  
  
He wanted to scream out "I do, Sara. I do" but all he could muster was "It's complicated."  
  
"It's just you and me. What's so complicated about that?" Sara asked trying to hold back the tears but not succeeding.  
  
Gil moved forward and gently removed a tear from her cheek. Sara leaned into his hand wishing it would stay. Gil finally said, "It's not as simple as you think. There's something." How should he put it, could he put it into words? "There's something I need to take care of. Something that doesn't involve you."  
  
Sara opened her mouth to reply but changed her mind. It was time. She looked at Grissom and with her hands signed, "You need to give us a little more credit than that." Grissom just stared while Sara continued, "I know." Grissom eyes reflected recognition. "We all know."  
  
"But, you can't. How could you?" he said.  
  
Sara softly spoke her reply, "Gris, You trained us to be good investigators. The clues were there we just had to piece them together. One, you know how to sign. Two, Catherine told us about your Mom. Three, sometimes you look all alone in a room full of people, like you don't even know others are there. Four, you've been distracted lately. Five, you didn't hear Nick and Warrick yelling after you. Six, should I go on?" Grissom shook his head no. "We pretty much put it together just before the crush of cases, but we were waiting for you to say something."  
  
"We, who's we?" Grissom demanded.  
  
"We. You know. Your team. Your friends. Catherine. Nick. Warrick. Brass. Greg. Doc. Even Bobby in ballistics. Did you think we wouldn't follow the evidence? You trained us better than that Gris."  
  
Grissom half-smiled as he shook his head. He didn't know what to say. Wasn't sure he could put any of it into words. If his Mom had been there it would have been so much easier. In a sense he was relieved but he still wasn't sure what to do about Sara. God how he loved spending time with her in San Francisco. He smiled to himself, well, time in the hotel anyway. They didn't really see much else. But this, this thing that was going on with him wasn't her problem. It wouldn't be fair to her.  
  
Sara watched as Grissom's eyes darted back and forth. He was thinking something through. That much was obvious. Sara hoped her next words would help. While signing at the same time, she cautiously said, "Gil, I love you." That got his attention.  
  
Grissom started to open his mouth to say something when Sara lightly put her hand on his mouth and said, "Come with me this weekend. Let's go to San Francisco where," Sara waved her other hand around the office, "none of this is. Just you and me. No, .complications. OK?"  
  
"OK" Grissom relented.  
  
"Good. We leave tomorrow after shift. You're driving. And you get to call Glen and Samantha. Now, I've got work to do." Sara smiled and left Gil alone in his office.  
  
  
  
On her way to the print lab Catherine caught Nick outside of Grissom's office staring through the blinds, "Nicky, what are you doing?"  
  
Nick looked at her with a sheepish grin, "Cath, check this out. Sara's in with Grissom and she just used sign language. You think she told him we know?"  
  
"'bout time somebody did." Warrick responded as he walked up behind them.  
  
"And that was the sign for 'love.'" Greg meekly added as he joined the night shift team staring through the blinds.  
  
When Catherine saw Sara put her hand on Grissom's mouth she stepped in front of the trio to block their view. "OK guys, show's over. Greg, don't you have some tests to run on those blood samples I just brought in? Nick, you left a mess in the layout room, why don't you go clean it up? And Warrick, don't you need to prepare for court?"  
  
The boys just stared at Catherine until she finally shooed them away. Each had finally headed to his own destination when Sara walked out of Grissom's office and ran right into Catherine. The senior investigator could see the traces of tears and the red in her co-workers eyes, but she also saw a slight smile on her face. "Did he admit it?" she asked Sara.  
  
Sara was surprised to find Catherine standing there. She hesitated as she answered hoping Catherine was asking about Grissom's hearing. "Yes and no. I had to bring it up and tell him we knew. He seemed to accept that."  
  
"What's he gonna do?"  
  
"He didn't' say." Sara replied and walked away towards the locker room.  
  
  
  
Grissom watched the door close behind Sara. He was still staring at it thinking about what had just transpired when it opened and Catherine walked in, closing the door behind her.  
  
"So, what are you gonna do?" Catherine asked.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Your hearing. I mean, now that you know we know." Catherine continued.  
  
"Oh that." Grissom sighed, glad Catherine wasn't asking about Sara's pronouncement of love. "I don't know." Grissom turned and returned to safety behind his desk.  
  
"Well, whatever you decide to do, just remember, you have friends. You have us."  
  
Grissom turned to look at Catherine. "Thanks Catherine. I appreciate that, really I do."  
  
She smiled, "So, what are you gonna do about that other thing?"  
  
"What other thing?" Grissom put his glasses on and started looking at the files on his desk. He didn't like where this was headed.  
  
"You. Sara. L-O-V-E." Catherine put her hands on her hips. "Oh, come on Gil. It's so obvious. It's been obvious to all of us for months. Why don't you just admit it? Why don't you do something about it, besides sending her a plant?"  
  
Grissom slowly looked up and met Catherine's eyes over the rim of his glasses. "How do you know I haven't? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do and a call to make."  
  
Catherine just stood there staring at Grissom. She tilted her head from side to side trying to figure out a response to Grissom's last statement. She was still standing there when Grissom walked past her, opened his door and motioned for her to leave.  
  
"Cath. Really. I have work to do." Grissom, with one hand still on the door handle, glanced down the hallway. "And it looks like Greggo has your results." He looked back at Catherine. "Please. Go."  
  
She started for the door but stopped as she reached him. Their faces inches apart she looked him straight in the eyes, smiled and said, "Fine. I'll go. But don't you think for a minute this conversation is over."  
  
Grissom sighed as he watched the door close one more time. He headed back behind his desk, picked up the handset and punched the numbers on the keypad. "Glen, it's Gil."  
  
  
  
"Oooooh" "Aaaaahhh" "Wowwwww" "Oooooh" "Aaaaahhh" "Wowwwww" "Oooooh" "Aaaaahhh" "Wowwwww" Four voices were now joined in exclaiming the wonders of the multi-colored starbursts. The rapidity of the bursting shells indicated the finale was in full swing and the cacophony of voices overlapped each other so that they were no longer in unison but gave the effect of a choir singing the praises of the night sky.  
  
As the sky once again turned to inky black with a film of smoke, Gil realized he didn't want this moment to end. Sara wrapped in his arms looking up at the night sky was something he'd only dreamed of since San Francisco. He'd spent more of the fireworks spectacular watching Sara than actually watching the sky.  
  
As if she could read his thoughts she turned over on top of him and looked him right in the eyes. "Penny for your thoughts?"  
  
A playful grin crossed his face. He brought his hand up to finger her hair that had fallen into his eyes before tucking it behind her ear. With his other hand he reached down to the bag on the deck. His hand returned holding a pink ball of fluff.  
  
Sara was only slightly amused. "How's that an answer to my question?"  
  
"It's cotton candy. Threads of spun sugar made from sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Cooked to about 300 degrees before being immersed in cold water and."  
  
"Grissom, I know what cotton candy is. You didn't answer my question."  
  
"Taste it." Grissom guided the sugary concoction to Sara's mouth. The spun sugar started to dissolve as soon as it hit her wet lips. He gently drew her face to his and kissed her.  
  
Sara eyes searched his as he added, "I was thinking about today, the 4th of July, which led me to think about fireworks, which made me think of tradition. And what's 4th of July without cotton candy and then I thought about you and how your sweet lips would taste." His playful grin was now openly flirtatious. "Answer your question?"  
  
"Uhm, yeah, pretty much," Sara replied before countering with a kiss of her own. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat she added, "Thanks Gil."  
  
Gil leaned his head down towards hers. "For what?"  
  
"For turning a penny thought into a million dollar answer."  
  



End file.
